Kadambar Malai Temple Complex, Pudukkottai

Address

Kadambar Malai Temple Complex, Kadambar malai Road, Narttamalai Ammachattiram, Pudukkottai Tamil Nadu 622101

Diety

Malaikkadambur Thevar Amman: Mangalambikai

Introduction

The Kadambar koil is another temple complex in Narttamalai, situated at the foot of the Kadambar malai, north-east of Melamalai. In fact the rocky hillock, Kadambar malai, is named after this temple. The temple has an air of simple grandeur, with its background of hills and beautiful natural scenery. Kadambar malai is located to the northeast of the Narthamalai village. On the south west foot of this hillock is located the Kadamba Nayanar temple, a shrine to Goddess Mangalambikai, and another shrine called Nagarisvaram. A small tarn is seen in between the Kadamba Nayanar temple and the Amman shrine. At about a kilometer from the highway to Narttamalai village a mud road branches off on the right, which leads to the Kadambar malai and Kadambar Koil.

Puranic Significance

There are four monuments in this complex. They are the main Siva shrine, the Amman shrine, another Siva shrine called Nagarisvaram and a large inscription on the rock surface. The main shrine is ascribed to the reign of Raja Raja I Chozha (985-1014). The earliest inscription in the temple belongs to the 22nd year of Raja Raja Chozha (1007 AD). The presiding deity is called Malaikkadambur Thevar. The other two shrines belong to the reign of the Pandya King Maravarman Sundarapandya I (first half of 13th century). Here, there is a plethora of inscriptions. The inscriptions range over the entire Chozha period starting from Raja Raja I Chozha till Rajendra III, the last of the Chozha rulers. The temple faces the west. It consists of a garbhagriham, an ardhamandapam, a mahamandapam, and a prakaram. A part of the hill serves as the northern wall of the temple prakaram. In front of the temple are a fine sculpture of nandi and some broken parts of Bali pitham and dhvaja sthambham. Through a door, one enters to the western prakaram. Beyond this is the mahamandapam. It is pillared structure with flat roof supported by eight pillars. Beyond this are the ardhamandapam and the garbhagriham. It is an imposing structure of well dressed stones, showing great artistic skill. It resembles in some aspects to those of the Balasubrahmanya temple at Kannanur, in this district. It is, however, later in date. The garbhagriham is a plain structure and has a moulded plinth. On the outer wall of the garbhagriham there are devakoshtams surmounted by kudus with miniature shrines inside. The southern niche contains a sculpture of Dakshinamoorthy. The pilasters are polygonal and have idols and palagais at the top. Above the cornice (Kodungai) is a vyali frieze. The vimanam is of single tier. The grivam has niches (griva koshtam) on four sides and they are surmounted by simhamukhams. The sikharam of the vimanam is bell shaped. Further up over a base of lotus petals (padma pattikai), stand the stone stupi. In the recess between the garbhagriham and the ardhamandapam are two pilasters carrying a pancharam surmounted by a kudu. In the pillared prakaram of this temple are kept the idols of the attended deities of this and idols brought from the adjoining temple. They include the Saptamatrika group, a Vinadhara Dakshinamoorthy and Ganesa holding in his upper arms a piece of sugarcane and a sheaf of paddy. At the north east corner of the prakaram, on the rock surface is a relief sculpture of Chandikesvara. The tank in front of the temple is called Mangalatheertham.